A good day of hirundine movement at the farm, with three Sand Martins, 25+ House Martins and 350+ Swallows. Two Rooks there are also worth mentioning. It was just local birds at Banstead Woods, with seven Common Buzzards, a Kestrel, Blackcap, Chiffchaff and two Bullfinches of interest.

A Clouded Yellow, two Brown Hairstreaks, three Small Heaths, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, Red Admiral and 26 Brown Argus, 2 Common Darters and a Southern Hawker were also logged among the butterflies and odonata.

The highlight of a session at the Woods was a Great Black-backed Gull over Valley Meadows at 11:37. A Hobby was clocked as it circled high over Holly Lane Meadow, where a Collared Dove was noteworthy. A Rook flew over Hither Field and a Mistle Thrush was in Fames Rough while six Bullfinches were counted.

Four Brown Hairstreaks included two at The Nuttery and a male Chalkhill Blue was still out in Valley Meadows, representing the pick of the lepidoptera. Circle Field had a Common Darter.

Four Whinchats flicked from the Harrier Field hedgerow and 60 Swallows fed at the farm. A Common Buzzard was seen at Fames Rough and there were two Bullfinches in The Scrub.

A Clouded Yellow frequented Hither Field and other Banstead Woods butterflies included two Silver-washed Fritillaries, 15 Speckled Woods, a Small Copper, a Holly Blue and 15 Brown Argus. At the farm, a Painted Lady was notable. A Migrant Hawker was also noted.

A Yellow Wagtail flew over Slangs and a Northern Wheatear frequented Reads Bottom. Therewere three Willow Warblers at the farm, too, plus a southwesterly movement of 62 Swallows and a Little Owl present. A Hobby was seen over Holly Lane Meadow and the Woods also held a Tawny Owl, a Sparrowhawk,two Common Buzzard, four Chiffchaffs, a Blackcap and a Bullfinch.

Two Clouded Yellows and a Brown Hairstreak were seen at the farm. Another Brown Hairstreak was at the Woods, as was a Silver-washed Fritillary, a Peacock, 15 Brown Argus, a Brimstone and a Common Darter among the insects.

Two Whinchats had arrived in Hither Field and the Woods sector also held a Common Whitethroat and a Kestrel. A group of 14 House Martins passed over the farm, where three Bullfinches and singles of Sparrowhawk, Common Buzzard and Kestrel were noted.

A Great Black-backed Gull flew northwest over the farm, where three Swallows were seen. Also at the farm, a Treecreeper was in Pages Acre and a Common Whitethroat was present along with two each of Chiffchaff and Blackcap, plus four Common Buzzards, a Pheasant, a Kestrel and a Sparrowhawk. 500+ Woodpigeons gathered in the stubble.

The Woods held singles of Common Buzzard, Kestrel, Nuthatch and Bullfinch, while a Black-headed Gull flew over.

It was a great day for butterflies, headlined by a late Marbled White, two Silver-washed Fritillaries, eight Chalkhill Blues and 14 Brown Argus. Odonata included three Southern Hawkers and two Common Darters.

A Peregrine flew northwest over Canons Farmhouse. A Willow Warbler and eight Swallows were also at the farm, along with a Pheasant, four Common Buzzards, two Kestrels, five Stock Doves, two Rooks, a Common Whitethroat, four Greenfinches, eight Goldfinches, five Linnets and two Bullfinches. At Banstead Woods, a Black-headed Gull flew over and two Green Woodpeckers, two Blackcaps and a Common Whitethroat were noted.

Among the butterfly sightings, two Holly Blues were seen at Canons Farm and three Speckled Woods were in Banstead Woods.

A Tree Pipit flew south over Valley Meadows at 17:07 and other birds in the Banstead Woods sector included a Pheasant, a Sparrowhawk, two Common Buzzards, a Kestrel, five Green Woodpeckers, two Great Spotted Woodpeckers, seven Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps, a Common Whitethroat, a Song Thrush, three Nuthatches, seven Goldfinches and three Bullfinches.

Butterflies there included 10+ Chalkhill Blues, two Small Heaths, a Green-veined White, a Peacock and two Brown Argus.

A Little Owl was noted by Poultry Field. Migrants over Banstead Woods comprised of a Common Swift and nine Swallows, while other birds there included a Pheasant, two Common Buzzards, a Sparrowhawk, a Pied Wagtail, two Chiffchaffs, four Blackcaps and three Bullfinches.

Among the butterflies in the Banstead Woods sector was a Painted Lady, two Brown Argus and a Small Copper. A Southern Hawker hunted along Woodpecker Meadow.

Birds at Canons Farm included a House Martin, nine Common Swifts, six Swallows, four Common Buzzards, a Kestrel and a Linnet. Another Kestrel was at Banstead Woods, where two Chiffchaffs and a Nuthatch were seen.

The Woods sector also had three Silver-washed Fritillaries, eight Chalkhill Blues, a Marbled White, two Small Coppers, a Brown Argus two Small Heaths among a healthy array of butterflies. Two Southern Hawkers patrolled Piddly Pond.

Three Willow Warblers were around Infront George Field and four Swallows flew south. A Little Owl was showing at Stoney Nob. Other birds at the farm included a Common Buzzard, three Chiffchaffs, two Yellowhammers and four Common Whitethroats.

There were seemingly two Cuckoos around Reads Bottom, an adult female and a juvenile, a Bullfinch was at Tattenham Meadow and four Chiffchaffs and two Blackcaps were counted at the farm, as were two Yellowhammers.

Cuckoo, Reads Bottom, Ian Magness

Juvenile Cuckoo, Reads Bottom, Ian Ward

A Holly Blue and an Essex Skipper were the best of the butterflies noted.